Locomotive stoker



April 25, 1939. J. J. KRESS LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Jan. 20, 1958 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORQ Joseph J Kr'eSS BY ATTORNEYS April 25, 1939. J..J. KRESS LOCOMOTIVE STOKER 3 SHeets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1958 Aww .INVENTOR Joseph J Kress TORNEYS BY LZM-M %\N UN 1| QQW' QQN J. J. KRESSLOCOMOTWE STOKER April 25, 1939. 2,155,604

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 20, 1938 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- LOCOMOTIVE STOKER tion of DelawareApplication January 20, 1938, Serial No. 185,824

4 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive stokers of the type feeding throughan opening in the firebox backwall.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improvedstoker which feeds fuel through the firing opening in the locomotiveboiler backwall, such stoker being arranged to provide unusually freeaccess to the interior of the firebox through said opening and having adoor operable to open and close communication with said firebox.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stoker of the aboveconstruction whereby trimming of the fire is more readily accomplished.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a firedoor which ismounted upon the stoker discharge conduit and arranged for telescopicmovement with respect thereto.

The preferred means by which the several objects are accomplished isdescribed in the following description which is accompanied by drawings,in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through therearward portion of a locomotive with the invention illustrated in sideelevation;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure l withportions removed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, withparts in side elevation;

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 with the firedoor inopen position; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 55 of Figure1.

Referring to the drawings, L indicates a locomotive having a boilerfirebox I0 provided with a backwall H. Above the level of the cab deckl2. the backwall II is apertured at l3 to provide an opening wherebyaccess to the interior of the firebox l0 may be gained.

Extending upwardly and forwardly from beneath the cab deck i2 is astoker discharge conduit M, communicating at its upper forward end withthe firebox H) through the opening i3. A conveyor screw H3 is rotatablymounted in the conduit i i and delivers fuel to a distributor Dcomprising a jet head It adapted to issue blasts of pressure fluid overthe distributor plate H. The jet head it and distributor plate aresecured in known fashion to the front wall I8 of the discharge conduitl4.

ihe discharge conduit M at its upper portion includes a rear wall I9 andside walls 20, 2|,

0 terminating in a common horizontal plane disposed approximatelycentrally between the upper and lower edges of the firing opening l3.Formed with the forward end of the discharge conduit I4 is a flange 22which embraces the firing opening l3 and is secured to the backwall H by5 bolts 23. Above the horizontal plane of the top terminal edges of saidrear wall l9 and side walls 29, 2| the inner portions of flange 22 formside members 24, 25 disposed parallel to the backwall II and in closespacial relation therewith. A top wall 26 extends rearwardly andupwardly from the upper portion of flange 22 and its outward endterminates in a downwardly directed lip 21 which extends to the rear ofthe upwardly extended plane of the conduit rearwall l9. Preferably, thetop wall 26 and lip 27 extend laterally for a distance approximately thewidth of the firing opening l3; the lip 2'1 merging with the flange 22.

It will be observed from Figure 4 that above the stoker conduit I4 thereis provided an upwardly directed aperture disposed to the rear of thefiring opening l3. This aperture is adapted to be closed by a firedoor Fcomprising a rearwall 29 parallel to the conduit rearwall l9 and 25 apair of side portions 30, 3|. A web 32 at the lower edge of the firedoorF joins the side portions Sii, 3| thereof. This firedoor F is telescopedover the upper portion of the discharge conduit I4 and is provided alongeach side portion 39, 3| with a groove 35a, 3la for engaging a key 20a,2|a of the conduit side walls 20, 2| respectively. The keys 29a, 2|aextend downward from the top edge of a respective side wall 20, 2|.

When the firedoor F is in a position to close the aperture opposite thefiring opening l3, as shown in Figure 3, the upper edges of the firedoorrearwall 29 and its side walls 30, 3| fit against the lip 21, forming atight closure thereat. The lower portions of the side walls 3|], 3| andthe rearwall 29 remain in overlapping relation with the correspondingwalls of the stoker discharge conduit it, while the forward edges of theside portions 33, 3| abut against side members 24, 25, respectively,thereby completely closing the aperture opposite the firing opening i3.In order to protect the firedoor rearwall 29 from the intense heatwithin the firebox H],

a perforated bafile plate 32a. is secured thereto by bolts 33. Thefiredoor rearwall 29 is also provided with a vision box 34 for observingfire conditions and also for entraining cooling air currents over thebaffie plate 320;. Immediately above the vision box 34, the firedoor Fis provided with a handle utilized to open the firedoor by manual means.

Ordinarily, however, the firedoor F is operated by power means Pcomprising a cylinder 36 which houses a fluid operated piston 31. Oneend of a rod 38 is connected to the piston 31 while the opposite endthereof is connected at 50 to a pair of lugs 55 depending from the Web32 of the firedoor F. Pressure fiuid is admitted against the upper sideof piston 31 by means of a pipe 52 leading from a suitable source offiuid power. Admission of pressure fluid into the cylinder 36 causesdownward movement of the piston 31 and the firedoor F.

At each upper forward side of the stoker conduit I 4 is a pulley 39, 40over which a cable 4|, 42 is trained. One end of each cable 4|, 42 isattached to a side portion 30, 3| of the firedoor while the opposite endis attached to a plunger 43, 44 mounted in a tube 45, 46, respectively.The combined weight of the plungers 43, 44 is slightly greater than theweight of the firedoor F so that in the absence of pressure fiuidreacting on the upper side of piston 31, the plungers 43, 44 willdescend to the position shown in Figure 3, causing the firedoor F to bedrawn upwardly to closed position.

When the firedoor F is thrown open, an aperture opposite the firingopening I3 is formed permitting unrestricted access into the fireboxIll. It. will also be understood, that, since the side portions 24, 25do not extend a material distance rearward of the backwall II, thefireman may 7 more readily trim the fire. Trimming of the fire,

which includes a levelling thereof and breaking up or removing clinkerformations, is accomplished by inserting a hooked rod into the firebox.By the construction illustrated, the fireman can readily insert thehooked rod into the furnace at any desired angle because it is possiblefor the rod to be levered at a point closely adjacent the fireboxbackwall II. this construction also aids in manual firing of the fireboxsince the fireman may thrust the coal scoop a considerable distance intothe firebox forwardly or laterally.

I claim the following as new and useful in the art to which theinvention relates:

1. In a locomotive firebox having a backwall with a firing openingtherein, the combination comprising a stoker discharge conduit arrangedto communicate with said firing opening and having a rearwall and sidewalls extending above the lower edge of said opening, a frame embracingsaid opening including a pair of side members and a top wall extendingrearward of said side members, a door including a pair of side portionseach of which is arranged to fit against a corresponding side member ofsaid frame, and a rearwall arranged to form an approximate upwardcontinuation of the discharge conduit rearwall, the upper portion ofsaid door being open in up- At the same time;

ward extent and the upper edge of the rearwall thereof arranged to fitagainst the rear portion of the top wall of said frame.

2. In a locomotive firebox having a backwall with a firing openingtherein, the combination comprising a stoker discharge conduit arrangedto communicate with said firing opening and having a rearwall and sidewalls extending above the lower edge of said opening, a frame embracingsaid opening including a pair of side members the rear edge of each ofwhich is disposed closely adjacent the plane of said firebox backwalland a top wall extending rearward of said side members, a door includinga pair of side portions each of which is arranged to fit against acorresponding side member of said frame, and a rearwall arranged toforman approximate upward continuation of the discharge conduit rearwall,the upper portion of said door being open in upward extent and the upperedge of the rearwall thereof arranged to fit against the rear portion ofthe top wall of said frame.

3. In a locomotive firebox having a backwall with a firing openingtherein, the combination comprising a stoker discharge conduit arrangedto communicate with said firing opening and having a rearwall and sidewalls extending above the lower edge of said opening, a frame embracingsaid opening including a pair of side members and a top wall extendingrearward of said side members, a door telescopically related withrespect to said discharge conduit and including a pair of side portions,each of which is arranged to fit against a corresponding side member ofsaid frame, and a rearwall arranged to form an approximate upwardcontinuation of the discharge conduit rearwall, the upper portion ofsaid door being open in upward extent and the upper edge of the rearwallthereof arranged tofit against the rear portion of the top wall of saidframe.

4. In a locomotive firebox having a backwall with a firing openingtherein, the combination comprising a stoker discharge conduit arrangedto communicate with said firing opening and having a rearwall and sidewalls extending above the lower edge of said opening, a frame embracingsaid opening including a pair of side members the rear edge of which isdisposed closely adjacent the plane of said firebox backwalland a topwall extending rearward of said side members, a door telescopicallyrelated with respect to said discharge conduit and including a pair ofside portions each of which is arranged tofit against a correspondingside member of said frame, and a rearwall arranged to form anapproximate upward continuation of the discharge conduit rearwall,the'upper portion of said door being open in upward extent and the upperedge of the rearwall thereof arranged to fitagainst the rear portion ofthe top wall of said frame.

JOSEPH J. KRESS.

